Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has responded to comments made by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who suggested that DeSantis is not on the same level as former President Donald Trump and that Trump would secure the GOP nomination.
DeSantis pointed out the close collaboration between Trump and McCarthy during their time in Washington, highlighting that Trump had provided strong support for McCarthy’s bid for Speaker of the House.
DeSantis expressed doubt that McCarthy would have won the speaker vote without Trump’s instrumental backing. Furthermore, he emphasized that Trump and McCarthy had aligned on various key issues, particularly in their support for major spending bills that collectively added $7.8 trillion to the national debt.
Drawing a contrast, DeSantis underscored his administration’s fiscal responsibility in Florida, noting that the state consistently ran budget surpluses and reduced its debt load by nearly 25% since he assumed the governorship.
He acknowledged that his approach diverged from the desires of the Washington, D.C. establishment, as they understood that significant changes would occur if he were to assume a national leadership role.
In response to this situation, DeSantis embraced the DC Establishment’s reluctance to see him as a presidential candidate, stating that he wore it as a badge of honor. He shared these sentiments on social media, along with a video clip of his remarks.
DeSantis’ remarks followed McCarthy’s comments on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” with host Maria Bartiromo, where McCarthy confidently asserted that Trump would be the GOP nominee in the upcoming election.
He also remarked that DeSantis did not possess the same level of appeal as Trump and suggested that DeSantis owed his election victory to Trump’s endorsement.
